ideas and tips for your cleaning work

Steam Cleaning VS Dry Carpet Cleaning

Is it time for your carpet to be revitalised?

Or perhaps you’ve got some nasty stains driving you completely mad?

When you’re looking at getting your carpets cleaned you’ll find that many companies boast their own techniques and equipment, making it hard to select the right cleaning method. You should always be wary of what any professional advises, especially if they have only one option for you. It’s advised you get some accurate information by having a look at the various sources of information available, or by talking with a carpet cleaning company who offers a few different methods.

You’ll find that most carpet cleaning companies only utilise one method, usually steam cleaning, or dry cleaning. Additionally some carpet cleaning companies will come up with their own name for their techniques, making it hard to decipher what you’re actually getting. However don’t allow this information to turn you against carpet cleaning companies, just make sure you do a little bit of research before asking for a specific carpet cleaning service.

Not surprisingly both popular carpet cleaning techniques are effective in their own manner and in the right context, consequentially they also have their own negatives. It’s important you request a service that suits your circumstances (stains type, carpet material, time constraints and budget).

Steam Cleaning :

Method:

In basic terminology your steam cleaning service is the application of hot water onto your carpet, which is dried straight after water application. A steam cleaner utilises a machine which can suck up the dirty water which the hot water extracts. Your steam cleaning method works based on a mixture of chemicals and hot water which releases dirt or stains from the deeper depths of your carpet (which is then removed through suction).

Benefits:

It is perfect for stains that have been left to soak into the carpet

Utilises powerful chemicals to rid hidden stains

Provides an overall deeper clean

You can complete this method yourself with use of hire equipment

Negatives:

Can leave carpet wet for 2 hrs or more depending on the company (who will provide you an estimate)

If too much water is saturated into the carpet it can create bad hygiene

You’ll be unable to use the carpet area whilst it still remains wet

Dry Cleaning Carpet:

Method:

In comparison to your steam cleaning method the carpet drying (bonnet clean) does not use the same amount of water, instead it has a focus on utilising a chemical based cleaning technique. As moisture is beneficial to all carpet cleaning the dry carpet cleaning method does incorporate some water moisture, but mainly it sprays a chemical on the carpet which is scrubbed with a pad. Mixture of the chemicals and the pad fabric allow the dirt to be transferred onto the pad. However the carpet should also be vacuumed after the process to ensure all the grime that has turned into crystal powder, is effectively sucked up.

Chemical Forms: Granules (and in some cases your carpet cleaning professional will be able to utilise the ‘Foam Method’, which includes similar principles but utilises foam).

Benefits:

Most popular benefit is that it allows you to step onto your carpet immediately after application

Less water consumption (meaning no risk that your carpet will be over saturated)

Often cheaper

Negatives:

Doesn’t have the same effectiveness as steam cleaning for stubborn or liquid stains

It only really freshens the outer layer of the carpet (which can be appropriate if you have no real major stains)

Choosing out of these two main carpet cleaning methods may result in confusion, but with these basic bullet points and information you should be able to get an understanding what your carpet requires. It’s also best to talk in detail with your carpet cleaning professional before asking or accepting a specific method. In order to prevent the need for regular steam cleaning services you should always get on top of stains straight away, with off the shelf cleaning products, or basic carpet cleaning techniques (hot water and disinfectants).

It all comes down to your carpet type, specific stains, budget and more! Just make a general inquiry to begin your quest for the right carpet cleaning method!